Chapter 10: Trainer’s Pride

Hiro sat on a rock thinking about the pokemon league games the following day. He has spent his time inside the cave just outside pokemon stadium for last minute training and battling with other trainers. Jasmine kept him company as he wandered around looking for challengers to battle.

Jasmine: Hiro, you’re a good battler but you need to be a better trainer.

Hiro: What are you talking about?

Jasmine: You may win a lot of battles with strength and power but I think your still missing a few lessons that you could learn.

Hiro: Like?

Jasmine: Humility.

Hiro: Who needs it? This is a battle and the only thing is to win. I beat everyone I met in this cave; I think I just sent a few people home too.

Jasmine: But they tried so hard, maybe you should go easier next time so their pride wouldn’t be shattered.

The day before the Pokemon League everyone trained inside the nearby cave. Trainers would battle against each other to gain some last minute experience but if they lost terribly then their pride would be torn to pieces and they would withdraw from the league games. It’s a fact that being beaten by other trainers in the cave could ruin their pride in result some would even withdraw. Sometimes it’s difficult to accept defeat, especially if it doesn’t seem like there’s any hope of winning a battle. Hiro grinned to himself, proud that he managed to stay undefeated in the cave. His competition seemed very poor compared to his skill and pokemon. With high hopes of winning, Hiro yelled through the tunnels of the cave.

Hiro: If anyone wants to battle one of the best then step right up and face me!

*****

Kenta heard Hiro’s voice, he approached that direction but Whitney opposed. Kenta so far hasn’t beaten Hiro yet and facing him in the cave of all places may ruin his motivation for the pokemon league.

Whitney: Kenta why don’t we go there and see if anyone is willing to battle.

Kenta: But Hiro just issued a challenge, I know where he is and I want to battle him.

Whitney: You might lose!

Kenta: That’s all part of the learning process isn’t it? No one can be invincible.

Whitney: Hope your confidence holds up till the league games.

Out of one of the tunnels came Kenta from the darkness. Kenta approached Hiro glancing at him with the look of determination. Once face to face they stared at each other, this was another battle to see who is the better. Without a word they both walked back to get into position to battle. Jasmine watched from the side and Whitney joined her.

Whitney: How’s your guy doing?

Jasmine: Hiro so far hasn’t lost to a single person in the cave. How about your friend?

Whitney: We just got in here; this is Kenta’s first match.

Jasmine: Oh.

Before any more words were spoken the battle was well its way. This is a one on one battle between two of their best pokemon. Jasmine knew Hiro would pick his best, his Feraligator. Kenta also selected his best, Typhlosion. Both pokemon emerged from their pokeballs awaiting battling instructions from their owners. Hiro has the advantage with water over fire but Kenta trusted that this pokemon is the best and can beat anything despite a type disadvantage.

Hiro: Bad choice, I’ll finish you off with one hit! Hydro Pump!!

Kenta: Is it? Shake off its aim with Earthquake!

Typhlosion stomped the ground to produce a massive earthquake causing Hiro’s Feraligator to miss its Hydro Pump. Rocks fell from the cave, nothing seriously large. Kenta spotted a fallen rock nearby and pointed at it.

Kenta: Typhlosion, pick up that rock and throw it at the Feraligator before it has a chance to recover!

It did what it was told and tossed the rock as hard as it could. Hiro saw the incoming attack and countered with a command.

Feraligator: Catch it!

Once Feraligator caught the rock Kenta saw another opening.

Kenta: Flame wheel it while it’s busy!

Flames engulfed Feraligator causing slight burns and injuries. Hiro didn’t like the way this battle was going, in the past he was able to defeat Kenta but now it seems Kenta is battling a lot better than before, like he had become a new person.

Hiro: Your fire attack isn’t enough to put down Feraligator! In fact why don’t I get a bit more physical rather than elemental? Bite it!

Kenta: Do fire spin on yourself Typhlosion!

Hiro: WHAT!?

The fire spin surrounded Typhlosion, covering it with a thick layer of fire. Hiro couldn’t understand what Kenta was thinking, why would he want Typhlosion to do fire spin on itself, that’s like punching yourself in the gut. Feraligator watched for an opening so it could perform its attack. It moved in closer trying to find a break in the fire spin. Kenta’s eyes widened, the timing is perfect.

Kenta: Alright FIRE BLAST!!

Hiro heard Kenta’s command and his own eyes widen with shock. He had realized Kenta’s plan the whole time; it was too late to counter. A fire blast attack was shot out from the fire spin and hit Feraligator with great impact. It was so close that there was no room to dodge and the hit was a critical fatal one. Feraligator fell down burned from Typhlosion’s attack. It tried to get up but fell down the battle is over.

Hiro: . . . Feraligator return!!

The reason why Kenta told Typhlosion to cover itself with fire spin was to confuse their opponent and also shield them from any physical attacks for a moment. Fire would do very little damage to Typhlosion that it was a wiser choice then getting hit by anything else. Kenta’s Typhlosion must’ve really trusted Kenta to make such a unique strategy in attacking itself.

Hiro’s pride was burned up by Kenta’s fiery skill. With the heavy weight of defeat Hiro couldn’t even look at Kenta. His best, invincible Feraligator, the first pokemon he received was defeated by Kenta’s pokemon, with a type disadvantage as well. Hiro grabbed his bag and things and walked away without a word, Jasmine ran after him to try help his injured pride and hope that he still wants to battle in the pokemon league.

Kenta: . . . Hiro . . .

Whitney walked over to Kenta concerned at what just took place, seems like Kenta’s friend had just got his feelings hurt.

Whitney: Kenta, is your friend going to be okay?

Kenta: I don’t know. The time before the pokemon league games is a crucial time where trainers have their hopes set on winning. This becomes a very emotional time that all the effort into training and battling their pokemon to come down to the pokemon league games and yet they lose before even getting start really hurts. Losing here makes you feel that you spent all that time for nothing. But I think losing teaches you a lesson that even though you lose, you still have a lot of room to improve and with what little time left, you can try and make those improvements.

Whitney: Very well said Kenta.

Kenta: I hope Hiro will make it to the league games. This was a only a small battle compared to what is going to happen tomorrow.

*****

Some time during evening, Hiro sat in an isolated area of Mt. Moon, he flew there with one of his flying type pokemon. He couldn’t believe he lost to Kenta, he had barely put up a fight and Kenta defeated him using advance tactics. If he couldn’t beat someone like Kenta then he probably didn’t have any chance in the pokemon league. Jasmine caught up with Hiro and ran up to him.

Jasmine: I finally found you, I knew you were here but I didn’t know where.

Hiro looked at Jasmine, she appeared to be very worried. Hiro stood up and faced her. Jasmine didn’t know what was going to happen next, Hiro still seemed disturbed about his lost. Looking right at him she noticed slight tears from his eyes. He then grabbed her in an embrace and let his emotions out in his tears.

Jasmine hugged him back feeling his emotional distress. His pride clouded his better judgment also hiding his emotions. During their travels together he had barely showed any type of emotion, except a proud one, towards her or towards his pokemon. Seeing his best pokemon lose to his rival, the same pokemon that tried its very best to save Jasmine, the pokemon that came through for him on several occasions has lost.

Jasmine: Its okay Hiro. It’s okay to lose sometimes. At times you just have to realize that you aren’t the best and that you can lose. But losing isn’t the end of the world. Just because your very best lost doesn’t mean its over. I know you try so hard to be the best, to beat everyone that you meet but winning isn’t everything, learning is. Being tough and macho is just an image; a real good trainer is one that uses his pokemon wisely and to also care for them then learns from them. I know you care a lot for your pokemon and you use them wisely like when you saved me. Let’s go back to the pokemon stadium and get some rest for tomorrow okay.

Jasmine looked right at Hiro. His tears glittered like silver; she wiped them off his face and held his hand leading him out of the cave. Hiro came to realization that winning isn’t always everything, nothing has changed since he lost, and he felt even closer to Jasmine than he had before. The whole ego trip of being the best to impress everyone around him turned out to be nothing. He doesn’t know how well he’ll do at the pokemon league games but he hopes to make it as far as he could to see how much he has accomplished in his training. Once outside he called out one of his flying pokemon to fly them back to pokemon stadium.

*****

Ash and Misty walked home after buying some groceries from the Cerulean City super market. The pokemon league games were going to start tomorrow so they needed a lot of snacks while they watched. Ash also bought some blank tapes to record if anything spectacular were to happen.

Ash: I hope pokemon league games are good this year, I want someone to advance all the way to challenge at least one elite four.

Misty: Yeah, these past few years they were hardly anyone that could even advance to the elite four challenge.

Ash: And they made it so easy too. Someone just has to beat 15 other trainers in a row. Considering how many participants there are there should be a lot of people doing the elite four challenge. In my day we had to beat everyone without a loss.

Misty: That was only you and Gary. Well they have to make it lenient or no one will ever make it to the top. At any rate as long they show a good performance then it’ll be well worth watching. I bought all sorts of ice cream that I’m going to mix with some pineapple and papaya.

Ash stopped for a moment, he tried to envision what the sundae would look like and also what it would taste like; it was horrible.

Ash: My ears must be playing tricks on me, for a moment I thought you said you were going to mix ice cream with pineapple and papaya.

Misty: I am! I think it’s a really good dessert. I have a craving for it. Don’t ya think it’s a good mix?

Ash: Um . . . Misty are you feeling alright.

Misty: I’m fine. Well actually I’ve been feeling slightly dizzy sometimes in the morning but I’m fine. I just wake up on the wrong side of the bed or something.

Ash: Oh um, alright.

Ash smiled, he started to go over some names that he likes.

End of Chapter 10